Earthquake in Colombia: Church assessing needs for emergency aid

A devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck much of western and central Colombia on Monday. While authorities assess the scale of the emergency, the Catholic Church is already accompanying affected communities and gathering information to gauge the most urgent needs.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is in direct contact with the bishops of dioceses located in the affected areas in order to determine the impact of the quake and coordinate emergency aid to be channelled through the Church.

The earthquake’s epicentre was recorded in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in the Diocese of Istmina-Tadó. The local bishop, Monsignor Mario de Jesús Álvarez Gómez, told ACN: “It was a very strong and prolonged earthquake. (…) We have recorded material damage; the roofs of several churches collapsed, though fortunately there were no services taking place at the time.”

Monsignor Álvarez indicated that, according to the information available so far, material damage in San José del Palmar and Istmina appears to be limited. However, the secretariat of the Diocese of Quibdó has informed ACN that several parishes have suffered significant damage and that there have been fatalities. Diocesan representatives are currently visiting the affected areas to carry out a full assessment of the situation.

“We are trying to contact the other dioceses to understand the actual situation. For now, we are continuing to assess the needs,” Monsignor Álvarez added.

ACN will remain in constant contact with the bishops and local Churches over the coming hours to determine the extent of the emergency and respond to any needs identified.

As is typical in so many disaster situations, the Church is one of the first places of refuge for affected communities. From the initial hours following the earthquake, parishes, priests, religious sisters and the faithful have begun accompanying families, offering shelter, comfort and spiritual support.

ACN invites all its friends and benefactors to join in prayer for Colombia and for everyone affected by this earthquake. The charity is also preparing to support the emergency response through the Church once the assessment of the most urgent needs across the affected dioceses is completed.

This natural disaster struck less than two months after two consecutive earthquakes devastated large parts of neighbouring Venezuela. Generous ACN benefactors from multiple countries have enabled to continuously support the local Church deal with the fallout. ACN is currently visiting Caracas and the other affected dioceses in the country, to plan its support in the coming months, including the reconstruction of severely damaged church buildings.